Ohrid, the pearl of Macedonia

Ohrid is situated in Southwest Macedonia and it is clear for all to see why it was designated as a UNESCO World heritage site in 1980. The 300m deep crystal clear waters of Lake Ohrid separate Macedonia and Albania, and is a popular destination for both locals and tourists.

Getting to Ohrid

By Plane
The St Paul the Apostle airport is about 10Km away from the city, so this ideal if you are looking to start or end you Macedonian adventure in Ohrid.

Flights to the airport are more frequent starting in March and through the summer months. Flights can be relatively cheap from many European countries, with airlines such as Wizz Air regularly offering Luton to Ohrid return flights for under €50!

There aren’t currently any buses running from the airport to the city center, but a taxi should cost around €8 / 500 MKD and take about 10minutes.

An excellent source to check for bus times in the Balkans is Balkan Viator, although we would always recommend buying your tickets in advance where possible as these schedules are often subject to change.

There are also some international buses that pass through Ohrid, mainly from Albania and Montenegro.

By CarComing from Skopje driving to Ohrid is relatively easy, head west out of the city on the E-65 /A2 towards Tetovo and continue along the road towards Ohrid. There are tolls along the way, but these are relatively cheap especially for tourists costing about 50 MKD.

From Bitola it is about 70Km and relatively simple to navigate you just have to follow the A3 / E-65 towards Ohrid, part of which passes through the Pelister National Park.

The roads in Macedonia and the style of driving by some of the locals may be significantly different from what you are used to, so care is advised. Check out Europcar for car rentals in Macedonia.